Korean film 'Hope' reaps $5 mil. in 1st week of N. America release

The Korean sci-fi thriller "Hope" logged nearly $5 million in its first week of release in North America, the film's distributor said Tuesday. The figure came after the alien blockbuster reaped $1.1 million on its opening day on Wednesday, according to Plus M Entertainment. As of Sunday, the film had grossed $4.92 million since its release, according to box-office data tracker Box Office Mojo. The movie, directed by Na Hong-jin, opened across some 1,560 theaters in the United States and Canada, which marked the biggest theatrical release of a Korean film in the region since the Oscar-winning "Parasite" (2019). Starring Hwang Jung-min, Jung Ho-yeon and Zo In-sung, the film follows the chaos that unfolds as mysterious beings appear in the quiet port town of Hopo near the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone. The film, which released in Korea in July, topped 4.57 million admissions here. It premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in May, where it competed alongside 21 other titles in the main competition section.